From Foxtrot Alpha:"Victory Day" has been rebooted since Vladimir Putin took the reins of Russia over a decade ago. May 9th is the official day that marks the end of what Russians call "The Great Patriotic War," otherwise known as WWII to the rest of us.

Tyler Rogoway

"Victory Day" has been rebooted since Vladimir Putin took the reins of Russia over a decade ago. May 9th is the official day that marks the end of what Russians call "The Great Patriotic War," otherwise known as WWII to the rest of us.

Russians do have a lot to celebrate really, WWII was the bloodiest for Russia out of all the allies, and without their dedication on the Eastern Front the world may be a different place today. Still, one cannot help but have the specter of the Cold War and the Soviet days come to mind when watching this type of military parade in Red Square. Even the gold-on-red sickle and hammer next to the CCCP "Order of Victory" medal continue to stand vigil over Red Square till this very day.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, and Russia's economically and culturally tumultuous 1990's, these types of displays were by and large thought of as inappropriate and much of Russia's military apparatus was falling into disrepair and inorganization. After Vladimir Putin became President in 2000, he focused on revitalizing nationalism among the Russian populace. Strong-armed tactics in Chechnya along with rebooting modern displays of military might and showcasing common events that evoke nationalistic sentiment have all become part of the Putin program. At the top of this list was bringing back the Victory Day parades in Red Square. These Soviet era like demonstrations of a reinvigorated "Russian Bear" have grown once again to be the largest of their kind in the world, although they do fluctuate from year to year. This year had over 11,000 troops, 150 vehicles and seventy aircraft participating.

Back in the 50's and 60's, Victory Day was often the type of event where new Soviet military capabilities would be unveiled, sending American and Western European military analysts into frenzy. Once again the world casts a much keener eye on Russian displays of military might after their invasion of Crimea and the continued proxy warfare that exists within a Ukraine that is inching closer and closer to full blow civil war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Crimea on Friday to take part in Victory Day…
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The hardware on display for this year's Victory Day parade featured top of the line Russian capabilities, including the Tu-160 Blackjack swing-wing bomber, Topol-M road-mobile ballistic missiles, and Russia's highly capable S-400 surface to air missile system. Check out the "dashcam" video from different participants perspective below, along with some stunning pics from the display:

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attend a Victory Day parade in Red Square along with top Russian military brass.

Russian troops glance in unison while marching on Red Square.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspects the troops from his Zil convertible during the Victory Day parade.

A Russian soldier salutes the executive VIP box from his tank during the demonstration.

Putin arrives in Sevastopol for Victory Day festivities. This is the first time Putin has visited the region since "annexing" the Crimean Peninsula.

The Russian Black Knights and Swifts aerobatic demonstration teams execute an awesome flyover of Sevastopol while launching dozens of flares.

Putin takes in the Su-27s and MiG-29s flying over while standing on a pulpit in his newly acquired territory.

Photo credits AP

Tyler Rogoway is a defense journalist and photographer that maintains the website Foxtrot Alpha for Jalopnik.com You can reach Tyler with story ideas or direct comments regarding this or any other defense topic via the email address Tyler@Jalopnik.com